Pepe.

Most beautiful summer days when I'm stuck at work, I can't wait to get outside. I'll run a paper next door, I'll get the door for patients, shoot, I'll even take out the trash. My favorite thing to do though, is to take lunch outside. If I bring it, I'll park my car under a shady Oak, and with the windows down, either read a book, or listen to the current happenings on NPR while watching squirrels play tag.

On the common occurrence that I'm planing to buy lunch, options are not that vast. Seeing as eating establishments are pretty slim pickins' around here, repetition happens frequently.

Today though, I had a first.

i.became.a.regular.

Whenever I walk into Jimmy Johns, by habit, I look at the menu. Honestly, it's because I can never remember that the ham sandwich is called "pepe" or that it's "#1". But today, the girl who is always (wo)maning the register said to me, "a number one?". My first thought was, "wait. am I really that predictable?" To which those exact words muttered their way out of my mouth (slightly under my breath, mind you). My attitude was off. I mean, here I am, someone who takes pride on being flexible with food. For real. I like, liking, just about everything. And I've been called out on being a sandwich eating, creature of habit, ordering ham and cheese for lunch. again. So, feeling strangely defeated, I responded "yes", and watched her smirk in satisfaction with the fine tuning of her prophetic skills.

After thinking it over for a bit, I realized that I should not have been offended by being known. I read it as being predictable (as if that was a bad thing in itself) vs. being noticed. The bottom line is it's good to be known. Even if it's boring, and for the type of sandwich you order.

I've decided to like it. Next time, I'm just going to have my money ready, and get the same combo I love so much (with diet coke and jalapeno chips!).

That's not to say, however, that I won't try to beat her at her own game, and give her my punch card before she even asks for it. ;)